noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective, noun
early; a little earlier than usual
Describes doing something ahead of the usual or expected time; often used with に as an adverb. The 早め spelling is typical.
明日は早めに家を出よう。
Let's leave home a little early tomorrow.
早めのご連絡をお願いします。
Please contact us at your earliest convenience.
noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective, noun
a little faster than usual; slightly quicker
Used when increasing speed or pace slightly; 速め is the preferred kanji. Often appears as 速めに or 速めの.
もう少し速めに歩いてください。
Please walk a little faster.
曲のテンポを速めに設定した。
I set the tempo of the song a bit faster.
Derived from the adjective 早い/速い (はやい) by replacing the い with the suffix め, which indicates a moderate degree or tendency. The kanji choice reflects the nuance of time (早) vs. speed (速).